Is OpenClaw free?

The OpenClaw software itself is completely free and open source, released under the MIT license, so you never pay for the program or need a subscription to download and run it. However, OpenClaw depends on external AI models to function, and those services charge for usage. Your actual cost comes from API fees when OpenClaw calls language models on your behalf, plus any infrastructure expenses if you self-host.

The Open-Source License

OpenClaw is released under the MIT license, one of the most permissive open-source licenses available. Created by Peter Steinberger, the project is freely available on GitHub. Here is what the MIT license means in practice:

• Free to use -- you can download, install, and run OpenClaw for any purpose, personal or commercial, without paying a license fee
• Free to modify -- you can change the source code to suit your needs, add features, remove components, or build entirely new tools on top of it
• Free to distribute -- you can share your modified version with others, include OpenClaw in your own products, or host it as a service
• Minimal restrictions -- the only requirement is that you include the original copyright notice and license text when redistributing the software

This means there is no "freemium" model or hidden paywall within OpenClaw itself. The entire codebase -- every feature, integration, and capability -- is available to everyone at no cost.

API Costs to Expect

While OpenClaw is free, the language models it connects to are not. Every time OpenClaw processes a request, it sends data to an LLM provider and receives a response. These providers charge based on the number of tokens (roughly words and word fragments) processed. Here is what typical costs look like:

• Light usage ($10-$30/month) -- occasional questions, simple file tasks, short conversations, and basic automations. This covers most personal use cases where you interact with OpenClaw a few times per day.
• Moderate usage ($30-$70/month) -- regular daily use including workflow automation, document processing, code assistance, and multi-step tasks. Typical for a professional using OpenClaw as a daily productivity tool.
• Heavy usage ($70-$150+/month) -- intensive automation, long-running sessions, complex multi-step workflows, large document analysis, and frequent browser control. Common for developers and power users running OpenClaw continuously.

The exact cost depends on several factors: which model you use (Claude Opus costs more per token than Claude Haiku, for example), how verbose your interactions are, and how many steps each task requires. You can control costs by choosing more efficient models for routine tasks and reserving more capable models for complex work.

Self-Hosted Infrastructure Costs

If you run OpenClaw on your own hardware, there are additional costs to consider beyond API fees:

• Server or computer -- OpenClaw can run on a personal laptop, a desktop, a Raspberry Pi, or a cloud VPS. If you use existing hardware, this cost may be zero. A cloud VPS suitable for OpenClaw typically costs $5-$20 per month.
• Electricity -- running a machine around the clock for an always-on agent adds a small amount to your power bill, typically a few dollars per month for low-power hardware.
• Maintenance time -- keeping the software updated, monitoring for issues, managing security patches, and troubleshooting problems requires your time. For technically minded users this is straightforward, but it is a real cost to factor in.
• Network and storage -- OpenClaw itself has modest bandwidth and storage requirements, but tasks involving large file processing or extensive web scraping may increase these needs.

Managed Hosting Option

For users who prefer a predictable, hassle-free experience, OpenClaw.Direct offers managed hosting at $19 per month. This flat fee covers:

• Server infrastructure and uptime monitoring
• Automatic software updates and security patches
• Pre-configured messaging platform integrations
• Backups and disaster recovery
• A web dashboard for configuration and management

You still bring your own LLM API key, so you pay API costs directly to the model provider on top of the hosting fee. This separation keeps things transparent -- you always know exactly what you are paying for hosting versus model usage. For many users, the $19 monthly hosting fee is well worth the time saved on setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting.